By Kabuye Ronald
The Electoral Commission has disqualified Busiro East parliamentary hopeful Walukaga Mathias after ruling that the academic document he presented for nomination had expired, rendering him ineligible to contest in the 2026 general elections.
The decision follows a petition filed on November 4, 2025, challenging Walukaga’s academic qualifications. The petitioner argued that the candidate did not meet the minimum formal academic requirements for nomination, claiming that the Mature Age/Aptitude Test Certificate he used had expired prior to his nomination on October 23, 2025.
Walukaga, through his lawyers, countered that the certificate remained valid because it had facilitated his ongoing admission to a Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration. He argued that being enrolled at a recognized institution should affirm the certificate’s legitimacy for nomination purposes.
However, after hearings and consultations held on November 7th, 10th, 14th, and 15th, the Commission issued a decisive ruling.
Key Findings by the Electoral Commission
- Walukaga tendered a Mature Age/Aptitude Test Certificate issued by the Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU) on June 12, 2023, with an expiry clearly marked as June 12, 2025.
- He also presented the accompanying NCHE equivalence certificate issued on June 11, 2025.
- A letter submitted by IUIU on November 11, 2025, confirmed that Walukaga sat the exam on February 25, 2023, scoring 54%, and reiterated the certificate’s two-year validity period.
- The Commission emphasized that the validity period is explicitly stated on the certificate and reinforced in Paragraph 9(b) of Legal Notice No. 12 of 2015, which mandates a two-year validity for Mature Age certificates.
- Citing the Supreme Court precedent in Gole Nicholas Davis vs. Loi Kiryapawo, the Commission reiterated that an NCHE certificate cannot revive an expired qualification.
With the certificate having expired months before the nomination date, the Commission ruled that Walukaga did not satisfy the academic requirements stipulated under Section 4(1)(c) of the Parliamentary Elections Act.
“The Certificate of Mature Age/Aptitude Test presented by Walukaga Mathias for nomination had, by 23rd October 2025, clearly expired. Accordingly, he lacked the requisite minimum formal qualifications for the elective office of Member of Parliament,”
Justice Byabakama Mugenyi Simon, Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, stated under MIN.COMP/048/2025.
The Commission’s decision effectively disqualifies Walukaga Mathias from the Busiro East parliamentary race, leaving the constituency’s political landscape momentarily unsettled.
As the Electoral Commission moves forward with preparations for the 2026 elections, the ruling sends a sharp reminder to aspiring candidates: expired academic documents will not withstand scrutiny.
